3
Abesifazane Labomkabo
1 Ngokunjalo, bafazi zehliseni kubomkenu ukuze kuthi lanxa abanye babo bengalikholwa ilizwi, baphenduke ngokuziphatha kwabomkabo kungekho kukhuluma, 2 lapho bebona ukuhlanzeka lenhlonipho yokuphila kwenu. 3 Ubuhle benu kabungaveli ekuziceciseni kwangaphandle, okunjengenwele ezelukiweyo lokugqiza izigqizo zegolide kanye lokugqoka izigqoko ezinhle. 4 Kodwa kumele bube ngobangaphakathi kwenu, ubuhle obungapheliyo bomoya omnene lothuleyo, oligugu elikhulu emehlweni kaNkulunkulu. 5 Ngoba le yiyo indlela abesifazane abangcwele bakudala ababethembe uNkulunkulu bejayele ukuzicola ngayo. Babezehlisa kubomkabo, 6 njengoSara owalalela u-Abhrahama wambiza ngokuthi yinkosi yakhe. Lingamadodakazi kaSara nxa lisenza okulungileyo njalo lingavumeli ukwesaba.
7 Ngokufanayo, madoda ekuphileni kwenu labomkenu wobani lozwelo, libaphathe ngenhlonipho njengababuthakathaka labazindlalifa kanye lani zesipho sokuphila esomusa, ukuze kungabi lalutho oluzavimbela imikhuleko yenu.
Ukuhluphekela Ukwenza Okulungileyo
8 Okokucina lonke hlalisanani ngokuthula; wobani lozwelo, lithandane njengabazalwane, libe lesihawu kanye lokuthobeka. 9 Lingaphindiseli okubi ngokubi loba inhlamba ngenhlamba, kodwa ngesibusiso, ngoba labizelwa ukuze lizuze ilifa lokubusiswa. 10 Ngoba,
“Lowo othanda ukuphila
abone lensuku ezinhle
kumele anqande ulimi lwakhe kokubi
lezindebe zakhe ekukhulumeni inkohliso.
11 Kumele batshiye ububi benze okulungileyo;
kumele bafune ukuthula njalo bakunxwanele.
12 Ngoba amehlo kaThixo akhangele abalungileyo
lezindlebe zakhe ziyezwa, imikhuleko yabo,
kodwa ubuso bukaJehova bumelana lalabo abenza okubi.”*
13 Ngubani ozalilimaza nxa litshisekela ukwenza okulungileyo na? 14 Kodwa lanxa lingahlupheka ngenxa yokulungileyo, libusisekile. “Lingakwesabi lokho abakwesabayo; kalingethuswa.”† 15 Kodwa yamukelani uKhristu ezinhliziyweni zenu njengeNkosi engcwele. Hlalani lilungele ukuphendula loba ngubani olibuza isizatho ngethemba elilalo. 16 Kodwa lokhu kwenzeni ngobumnene langenhlonipho, lilesazela esihle, ukuze kuthi labo abakhuluma okubi ngokuziphatha kwenu okuhle kuKhristu bayangeke ngokuhlambaza kwabo. 17 Ngoba kungcono nxa kuyintando kaNkulunkulu, ukuhlupheka ngenxa yokwenza okulungileyo kulokwenza okubi. 18 Ngoba uKhristu wafela izono zenu kwaba kanye, olungileyo efela abangalunganga, ukuze alise kuNkulunkulu. Wabulawa emzimbeni, kodwa wavuswa nguMoya, 19 wahamba ngaye wayatshumayela emimoyeni eyayisentolongweni yona 20 engalalelanga kudala lapho uNkulunkulu alinda khona ngokubekezela ensukwini zikaNowa umkhumbi usakhiwa. Phakathi kwawo abantu abalutshwana nje kuphela, abayisificaminwembili bebonke, basindiswa ngamanzi, 21 njalo amanzi la afanekisa umbhaphathizo osusilisa lani futhi, kungayisikho kususa ingcekeza emzimbeni kodwa kuyisibambiso sesazela esihle kuNkulunkulu. Siyalisilisa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo kukaJesu Khristu, 22 oseye ezulwini njalo usesandleni sokunene sikaNkulunkulu, lezingilosi, leziphathamandla kanye lezikhulu ekuzehliseni kuye.
* 3:12 AmaHubo 34.12-16 † 3:14 U-Isaya 8.12